ABO Blog

Exclusive opportunity for algae entrepreneurs to connect with seasoned venture capitalists and investors

 

MINNEAPOLIS – September 22, 2011 – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the leading trade association for the algae industry, today announced a special algae technology Finance Symposium as part of the 5th annual Algae Biomass Summit. Bill Lese of Braemar Energy Ventures and Todd Taylor from Fredrikson and Byron, P.A. are co-chairing this event, which has been specifically designed to connect entrepreneurs with seasoned investors.

The format is unique. Each company will present its business model to at least three separate groups of investment professionals, with two investors in each group. The 30 minute session will include 10 minutes of feedback and discussion by the investors who will provide invaluable feedback to the presenter on how to improve an investment pitch and ways to strengthen an overall business plan.

“This is an incredible opportunity to have a direct audience with leading investors in the algae space and to learn from them how best to present an idea, business model or other opportunity,” said Mary Rosenthal, executive director of ABO. “We hope that these meetings will not only help entrepreneurs improve their pitch, but also lead to subsequent conversations and meetings beyond the conference.”

“The ability to concisely and authoritatively describe a company’s business model is one of the most crucial factors in getting the attention of an investor,” said Bill Lese, managing partner of Braemar Energy Ventures, a leading venture capital firm with a strong focus on investments in energy technology. “This session is designed to really help entrepreneurs build, and articulate, the case for investment in their business.”

This Symposium is limited to the first 20 companies to complete the application. The cost is $995 per company and is limited to two attendees per organization. Each Symposium attendee must also be a registered attendee for the Algae Biomass Summit. Applications are available online.

The workshop will take place during the 5^th annual Algae Biomass Summit, the largest U.S. conference of algae producers, scientists, investors and policymakers. During the course of the event, leaders and attendees will discuss issues of critical importance to the emerging algae industry, including the commercial viability of algae production, current government and private initiatives, evolving technologies, processing concepts, life cycle analysis and venture/project finance.

Last year’s Algae Biomass Summit, held in Phoenix, Arizona, was attended by more than 600 stakeholders across the algae industry from 29 countries on nearly every continent.

Bill would level the playing field between algae and other advanced biofuels

 

MINNEAPOLIS – September 16, 2010 – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) today announced its strong support for the Renewable Fuel Parity Act of 2011, formally introduced yesterday by US Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and Mike Crapo (R.-ID). The bill would give algae-based biofuels tax parity while leveling the playing field for all advanced biofuels by expanding the Clean Air Act’s definition of an advanced biofuel.

The bill removes a significant barrier facing companies that are using algae to produce advanced biofuels such as ethanol and diesel: they do not currently receive the same treatment in the tax code as other companies producing cellulosic biofuel from feedstocks. By amending the Clean Air Act and combining the existing categories of ‘‘cellulosic biofuel’’ and ‘‘advanced biofuel’’ into a single technology-neutral category of ‘‘advanced biofuel’’, the bill gives algae-based companies the same tax treatment other biofuel companies have received for years.

“The Algae Biomass Organization applauds Senators Udall and Crapo for understanding the potential of algae technology to create jobs and increase energy independence while recognizing that the current renewable fuels policy is an inhibitor to our industry’s growth,” said Mary Rosenthal, executive director of ABO. “With this, we support the Renewable Fuel Parity Act of 2011 as presented. We share his view that algae-based fuels should be at parity with other renewable fuels in the tax code and in fuel standards. We will continue to work with Senator Udall on his initiative, similar House sponsored legislation, and others in Congress to accelerate the commercial development of fuels made from algae through fair and effective policies.”

“The West and my home state of New Mexico are rich in opportunities for advanced biofuels, including algae, cellulosic and others.  I support the Renewable Fuels Standard, which is already helping to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, and this improvement will accelerate that success,” Udall said. “This bill simply puts all advanced biofuels on a level playing field and lets the market determine which types of fuel are produced to meet the standard.”

“Now more than ever, America needs a national energy plan that ensures we have access to reliable, affordable and cleaner domestic energy.  Algae has been credited as a very promising feedstock in our quest for national energy independence, and its inclusion in the Renewable Fuel Standard will get us one step closer to that goal,” Crapo said.

MINNEAPOLIS – September 14, 2011 – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) today announced the agenda for its 5^th Annual Algae Biomass Summit, the algae industry’s premier event. More than 800 attendees are expected to see and hear the more than 200 presentations and poster sessions that showcase technological breakthroughs in algae technologies as well as commercial applications in fuels, feed and other products. The event will be held October 24 – 27 in Minneapolis, Minn. at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis hotel.

The conference has been organized into four main breakout tracks – Biology, Commercial,Policy & Finance, and Engineering & Analysis – designed to give participants a 360-degree view of the industry, and what it will take to move scientific breakthroughs from the lab to commercial production. While the conference is still the pre-eminent venue for scientific discussion of algae, this year’s conference offers additional programming from the commercial sector, from companies that are developing algae programs themselves as well as companies looking to the industry for a new source of materials.

Highlights include presentations from ExxonMobil and Cargill on their perspectives on algae technology, from FedEx, Qantas and Boeing on the role algae can play in sustainable aviation fuels, and from the USDA and DOE on algae as a contributor to the food chain, to name just a few. The complete agenda can be found at: www.algaebiomasssummit.org.

“This year’s event reflects the progression we, and the industry, have made since our first summit in 2007,” said Mary Rosenthal, executive director of ABO. “While our early summits were highly technical and audience members came to be educated, this year’s event is the broadest yet in terms of presentations and audience members from a wide variety of ‘end-user’ industries. This year the focus is on commercialization, and our speaker list and more than 50 exhibitors reflect this focus.”

Speakers and attendees at the Algae Biomass Summit will include national and international technologists, producers, scientists, investors, and policymakers. In addition to commercializing algae production, leaders and attendees will discuss issues of critical importance to the emerging algae industry, including current government and private initiatives, evolving technologies for strain selection, growing and harvesting, refining/processing, life cycle analysis and venture/project finance.

Information on rates and registration for the Algae Biomass Summit is available via an online form. Reservations for hotel rooms at the Hyatt can be made here. There are a limited number of rooms in the block associated with the event, so early registrations and reservations are strongly encouraged. More information about the event, exhibiting or sponsorships is available via phone at 866-746-8385.